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May 30, 2012

SNAP Matters to ME

Growing up, I never had to worry about having food on the table. Sure, there were times when money was tight and things go hard. But we were lucky enough to have the means and resources to provide for ourselves.

Having worked with Children, Youth and Family services in my county, I learned a lot about the lengths parents will go to make sure their children's basic needs are met. The hard work, the sacrifice. In our country and economy, sometimes even the hardest working, sacrificial acts are not enough to put food on the table.

Enter SNAP.

SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal nutrition program designed to help out those in times of need.

I love that our country has a program like this in place. Because any one of us could find ourselves in a "time of need." An unexpected change in finances can happen in the blink of an eye. It's one thing if you and your spouse need to provide for yourselves. But it's completely different when children are involved.

Over half of SNAP participants are children. As a parent, my heart does not beat only for my own kids. My heart beats for ALL kids. And knowing that there are kids in our country, as many as 1 in 5, that will go hungry today breaks my beating heart.

It should break yours too.

So to hear that our government is working to reauthorize the Farm Bill, legislation that provides funding to SNAP and SNAP education, in such a way that drastic cuts will be made to the SNAP program?

It makes me a little cranky.

Because if the proposed cuts go through, millions of children and families will be affected.